One of the flagships of the Turkish Navy, TCG Anadolu, docked at Southampton Port in southern England as part of international military activities across Europe. The ship is part of the Anatolian Turkish Naval Task Group, which also includes TCG Derya, TCG İstanbul, and TCG Oruçreis. The task force has been participating in NATO and allied military exercises across various European regions, while also conducting port visits aimed at promoting Türkiye’s defense industry capabilities.

During its visit to Southampton, a special event was organized aboard TCG Anadolu to showcase advanced technologies developed by the Turkish defense industry. The exhibition presented several domestically produced defense systems to international guests and military representatives. Among the highlighted systems were the Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicle, various indigenous munitions, armored vehicles, and other advanced military technologies. Visitors had the opportunity to tour the vessel and closely examine the systems displayed on board, gaining firsthand insight into the technological capabilities of Türkiye’s defense sector.

The event was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to London Osman Koray Ertaş, Consul General Hasan Ulusoy, Commander of the Anatolian Turkish Naval Task Group Rear Admiral Mevlüt Savaş Bilican, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Representative to London Aysan Mullahasan Atılgan, representatives of Turkish civil society organizations in the UK, as well as foreign diplomats and military officials.

In his speech, Ambassador Ertaş emphasized that Turkish naval units had successfully participated in NATO’s Steadfast Dart 26 exercise. He noted that after completing their duties, the personnel would continue to take part in additional exercises across Europe before returning to Türkiye at the end of an approximately four-month deployment.

Ertaş also highlighted the growing importance of Türkiye’s naval power and defense industry capabilities within NATO. He pointed out that the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV had achieved a historic milestone by conducting successful strikes against moving targets with national munitions after taking off from a naval platform—marking a first in NATO history. According to Ertaş, this achievement demonstrates the advanced level Türkiye has reached in unmanned systems and naval aviation technologies.

Rear Admiral Mevlüt Savaş Bilican also underlined the strength of Türkiye’s defense industry, stating that the country has become an important technology partner not only for NATO but for the global defense ecosystem. He added that more than 80 percent of the systems used by the Turkish Navy and its unmanned aerial vehicle platforms are domestically produced, significantly contributing to both Türkiye’s strategic independence and NATO’s operational capabilities.

The visit to Southampton also highlighted the strategic partnership between Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Recent developments, including discussions surrounding the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, are expected to further strengthen defense cooperation between the two nations.